Why is it we humans will often reject KISS theory? Who in their right mind prefers stress and complications?

How many moments have you found yourself caught up in, that are filled with a myriad of complicated thoughts and ideas? Is it some sort of competition we’ve been secretly entered in, where the most unlikely set of intricate scenario’s needs to be played out? Again, and again and again? Because let’s be frank, it can’t possibly be as simple as ….. well …… simply doing something simple, right?

For the record when it comes to such moments, I win all of them. I am a serial offender. I repeatedly repeat the same thing over and over again, repeatedly, confusing the hell out of myself as I do. You see I like to solve problems, and if a problem becomes complicated, I have a habit of overthinking them. This can lead me to follow a longer path, chasing ‘what if’ scenario’s that aren’t worth considering, and generally adding to the mess.

But I’ve also acquired a talent for controlling that behaviour. I possess a powerful ability to get myself back on the correct path quickly.

KISS theory

Keep it super simple, because nobody’s stupid.

Whenever I find myself in a situation that sees me wandering off or waffling away about sweet bugger all, I stop. Immediately! My next step is to break out some KISS theory and then start over. Applying KISS theory creates a pocket of time for me to breathe, think, and break everything down. No grandiose scenarios. No extrapolated thinking. No interplanetary contemplation. I stop using big words to describe things, and strip everything down, going back to basics.

Key point to consider, back to basics is a starting point, not a stopping point. Don’t allow your mindset to twist it into a negative. Think of it like this. The first time around you went the long road toward your destination, and became lost along the way. You didn’t fall short or fail, or quit, or miss out. And so you’re now choosing KISS theory as a way of stopping something that clearly isn’t working, removing the excess baggage and complications, and focussing on simpler solutions.

Simple Words.

Often when we find ourselves in a state of total confusion, we’ll try to describe that situation to others. But if we’ve done a really good job of complicating things, it’s likely to come out sounding like utter psycho-babble. KISS theory calls for us to simplify what we say, to trim the fat out of our own overly wordy interpretations. We want to try to find the simple underlying theme in between our chatter and noise. This is where we can start to allow a simpler approach to develop and evolve. Smog lifts, things become clearer.

Creating and imagining twisty turny tangled plots are what the writers of soap operas do best. Our brains are creative and imaginative but is this really days of our lives? Question yourself in the simplest ways possible. Who are you and what do you do? What are you doing, or trying to get done? Calm the narrative your thoughts are creating and take back control. Meditate if you have to or stop and just breathe.

Simple actions.

It’s incredibly hard to become a focussed individual, capable of avoiding all things complicated and distracting. But it’s not impossible. It takes large amounts of practise and discipline. This is the real reason why many of us will often struggle to apply KISS theory to what we say, what we think, and what we do. It’s hard work.

But I can’t tell you what a joy it is when I apply it. This also rings true for the many people I’ve worked with. Ask any salesperson or entrepreneur what the key to getting their foot in the door is, and they may answer with something like “to say what it is I do, in a simple way, so that I’m clearly understood”. KISS theory in action.

Simple Question.

As for the question of why we reject KISS theory, it’s because many of us refuse to believe that things in life can be simple. Our mindset is fixated upon a maze, instead of considering the option of a hallway. Yes, life can be complicated and perhaps the last thing you want to hear is that KISS theory is a way out. Test it, the KISS theory that is. Apply yourself to it. Let your mindset take a break from analysing and judging. Focus on your here and now. Going back to basics isn’t the end of the world. It’s the start of it.